Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 8 years ago

INTRODUCTION – Western Australia has the longest coastline of all the Australian States, covering approximately 12,500 km and over 21 degrees of latitude. It is bathed by waters of fluctuating quality that in general reflect changes in latitude and bathymetry. The shallow nearshore waters encompass several major biogeographic regions, namely the tropical Dampierian Province in the north and the temperate Flindersian Province in the south; the two meet on the central west coast in a broad overlap zone that Hutchins (1994) referred to as the Leeuwin Province. These two regions support markedly different ecosystems: coral reefs and mangroves characterise the north, whereas rocky reefs and seagrass beds exemplify the south. The overlapping zone supports elements of both regions.